Alafia River Rendezvous: Florida Frontiersmen Harken Back to Pre-1840 Era

Published: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 11:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 11:58 p.m.

HOMELAND | The recreational vehicles have been parked out of sight. The cellphones have been hidden away.

Facts

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Alafia River RendezvousWHERE: 1000 Old Fort Meade Road, Homeland (From U.S. 17, go east on County Road 640 and turn left on Azalea Avenue/Old Fort Meade Road.)WHEN: Public days are Jan. 25 and 26.HOW MUCH: Adults $10, seniors and children (ages 4-15) $5PHONE: 813-967-0152WEB: www.floridafrontiersmen.org/Alafia2013

The annual transformation of a desolate expanse of land just south of Homeland into a pre-1840 camp is complete.

The 42nd annual Alafia River Rendezvous, a simulation of life in the early 19th century, begins Saturday and runs through Jan. 26. The gathering, organized by the Florida Frontiersmen, is expected to draw as many as 1,400 campers.

Only the final two days of the Rendezvous are open to the public.

The Rendezvous simulates the yearly meetings between fur traders and fur trappers, or "mountain men," who ventured out of the woods to sell their pelts. Florida Frontiersmen members and guests live in unadorned canvas tents during the eight-day gathering, wear period clothing and cook by fire.

Participants were already setting up camp on Monday. All vehicles and other suggestions of modernity were required to be out of the primitive camp area by Wednesday.

The event's name reflects its original location a few miles to the west along the Alafia River. It moved to its current location, 322 acres owned by the Florida Frontiersmen, in 2002.

Chris and Tamera Beisler of Tampa serve as "booshways," or supervisors, of this year's gathering, a corruption of the French bourgeois. Alafia is one of four major rendezvous events held each year in the United States, and Tamera Beisler said the gatherings have fostered a cottage industry of vendors who sell period attire, crafts and food.

Beisler, in real life a water aerobics instructor, said her teenage son and two teenage daughters soon would be joining her at the camp. The grounds include a one-room schoolhouse, and certified teachers make sure the students do their work.

Beisler, 47, fielded frequent calls on her cellphone Monday morning but said she would happily disable it in a few days.

"It's all unplugged, and today we need unplugged," she said.

Mike and Bev McIntyre of Hardee County have been attending the Rendezvous for 36 years. They had erected their tent Monday morning, and Mike was digging a fire pit and hammering the frame of a metal grill into the ground.

Mike McIntyre, a working farrier, serves as head ranger during the Rendezvous, patrolling the site on horseback for fire hazards and other problems. McIntyre, 65, brought along two of his horses.

Bev McIntyre, 64, summed up the appeal of the annual gathering.

"Seeing how our ancestors camped, how they lived," she said. "It's really a lot of fun. And friendship — sitting around the fire at night with your friends. There's nothing like it. At night it's so beautiful, looking around with all the candles lit."

She said the couple's grandchildren sometimes come to spend a night or two at the camp. Using the grill and a Dutch oven, McIntyre said, she can do everything from slow roasting a ham to baking biscuits and pies.

"You're just out here to enjoy each other's company, and you don't have all that hubbub of the modern world," McIntyre said. "It's just so peaceful and relaxing. When you have to go back to work and everything, you just feel so relaxed and at peace, you can tackle the modern world again."

A small wooden stage provides a venue for entertainment. Campers also take part in black powder shooting competitions and archery contests. Many of the campers demonstrate aspects of 19th-century life, such as blacksmithing and spinning and the making of brooms, shaker boxes, candles and soap.

Beisler said the Rendezvous is likely to swell to 5,000 people during the "Publick Days" on Jan. 25 and 26.

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